Shanakill in Sussex frame

Lord Shanakill is having a few easy days before being prepared for his next race following his triumph in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on Sunday.The BGC Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on July 29 or another trip to France for either the Prix Maurice de Gheest or the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville next month are being considered for Karl Burke's classy three-year-old colt."He came out of the race great. He had a canter and he looks in great form. Obviously he's lost a bit of weight, but he'll have an easy end of the week now and then back to a normal routine next week," said Burke."A stronger gallop suits him well and I think he won despite the race tactics and not because of them. We were keen to run him in the last three-year-old Group One mile race of the year, but I think he is ready to take on older opposition now."He's in the Sussex, that would be the first race he'll go for. We'll leave him in there and see what form he's in and how the race shapes up. If he doesn't go there, he'll probably go to Deauville."There were 24 horses left in the Sussex Stakes at the latest acceptance stage, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for seven - Rip Van Winkle, Westphalia, Malibu Bay, Poet, Rockhampton, Set Sail and Windsor Palace. The other Irish-trained possible is Jim Bolger's Intense Focus.Among Godolphin's five entries are recent acquisitions Delegator and Evasive plus Gladiatorus, Huntdown and Donativum.Others standing their ground in a high-class list include 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Ghanaati and Queen Anne Stakes scorer Paco Boy.